The Battle of Britain

The battle begins, summer 1940
The battle begins, summer 1940

After defeating France in June 1940, Hitler assumed Britain would sue for peace but ordered his armed forces to prepare for invasion. Hermann Goering assured him that a sustained air assault would destroy the RAF, winning the air superiority needed.
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940

July 1940 saw German planes target shipping in the Channel, drawing the RAF into combat, before radar stations, communications centres and airfields faced round-the-clock bombing in August. The battle reached a climax with attacks on London in September.
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)

Joan 'Elizabeth' Mortimer, Elspeth Henderson and Helen Turner of the WAAF. All three received the Military Medal for courageous conduct during attacks on Biggin Hill airfield. Biggin Hill suffered a total of ten major attacks between 30 Aug and 5 Sept.
Non-British personnel in the RAF
Non-British personnel in the RAF

A group of pilots of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF return from a sortie. The first Polish squadrons were formed in the summer of 1940. Pilots came from several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and the USA.
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford

RAF Duxford was a Sector Station in 12 Group, responsible for defending the Midlands and East Anglia. As the fighting intensified, Duxford's squadrons were called on to support 11 Group's defence of London and the south-east.
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF

Despite incessant attacks, the RAF's defences held. The Luftwaffe could not continue, and in the autumn switched to 'nuisance' raids and night operations. The failure to defeat the RAF convinced Hitler to postpone his invasion plans indefinitely.

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Tending Rabbits, Milag Nord
(art) Made by: Worsley, John 1944-04-01
image: a prisoner of war stands with his hands in his pockets, looking at the artist. He is standing with a small rabbit enclosure containing a hutch and two rabbits, surrounded by a low fence. Two more POWs are crouching down, cleaning out the hutch.
Prisoners Loading Wood for Winter Fuel
(art) Made by: Worsley, John 1945
image: a group of four prisoners-of-war loading logs onto a horse-drawn cart with two German guards with rifles chatting to each other on the right. A pile of logs sits in the foreground to the right. In the background to the left is a small wood where...
The Funeral of a British Merchant Seaman passes Marlag 'O'
(art) Made by: Worsley, John 1945
image: Two German guards stand in a field watching a procession move along a track in the centre ground. It is led by a team of horses pulling a cart that carries a coffin. A group of Prisoners of War follow immediately behind, and a number of German...
Naval and Marine Prisoners of War on the March ahead of the Allied Advance in Germany between Bremen and Lubeck, 1945
(art) Made by: Worsley, John 1945
image: a muddy track in the countryside crowded with Allied soldiers and German guards. In the foreground a guard with a dog on a lead walks along the verge of the track. To his right are men in different naval and khaki uniforms. They all carry...